Crate



L. L. EBY.

CRATE'.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. ISIS. 1,317,438. 4 Pantedsept. 30,1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

WITNESSES ATToRNEY y L. L. EBY.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1916.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

LUCIAN L. EBY, OF NORTH FORK, IDAHO.

CRATE.

Application filed March 30, 1916. Serial To all whom t may concern.' i,

Be it known that I, LUCIAN L. EBY, la citizen of the United States, Fork, in the county of Lemhi and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in crates and more` particularly to a knockdown crate. v

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a crate ofthis character which is simple and inexpensive in construction and which may be easily operated.

A further object provision of means for holding the crate in open position for receiving and holding the articles to be shipped vision of means for holding the crate in knockdown position.

A still further object of the inventionis the provision of a removable .top and bottom whereby the sides and ends may be collapsed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in *the novelfdetails oi:

construction and arrangement of parts 'which--l will be more clearly understood 'from the following description and drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is top plan view with a section broken away to show the interior,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

Fi 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the crate in knockdown position.

In carrying out my invention I provide sides and ends which are pivotally connected together, the sides comprising a plurality of vertically spaced strips 1 and the ends comprising a plurality of vertically spaced strips 2, the ends of the strips 2 being received between the strips 1 as is clearly illustrated in the drawings. Rods 3 pass vertically through the ends of the strips 1 and 2 whereby the side and end strips are pivotally connected together. Washers 4 are adapted to be received on the rods 3 against the strips 1, and the ends of the rod are iiattened whereby they are held in position.

Staples or eyes 5 are secured to the lowermost strips 1, on the underside thereof, and are used for connecting the bail members to Specification of Letters Patent.

residing at North of the invention 1s thel as well as the protratedin Fig.

Patented sept. 3o, 1919.

the crate. These' bail membersI comprise rods 6 which pass through the staples or eyes 5 and beneath the bottom of the crate, right angle extensions 7y which extend vertically of the sides of the crate and cross-rods 8 adapted to extend over the top of the crate and said cross rods 8 are provided intermediate the ends with loops or eyes indicated at 9,and-,the purpose of which will be presently described. A removable bottom plate indicated at 10 is adapted to be received on the cross-rod 6 between the side strips 1 and alremovable top 11 is received on the end strips 2 and between the yuppermost side strips 1.

That portionkkof the rod 6 between the' staples or eyes 5 is slightly oset so as to the ba1ls are swung over inv their tying position. Thisoffset portion is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 4. Y

The bails are adapted to be held in raised position by means of cords or wires, indicated at 12, said cords or wires 12 being connected tothe eyes 9, as more :clearly illus- 2 of the drawings.

The distance between the side extensions 7 of the bail members is preferably greater than the width of the crate, whereby the bails will assume the position indicated in Fig. 5 oi the drawings when the crate is in its knockdown position.

I-Iaving fully described the details oi construction it is thought that the advantages and operation of my crate will be clearly understood. My crate is adapted for shipping vegetables or fruits of various characters and'when ready to be filled, the several parts will be in the position illustrated in the drawings with the exception that the cover or top plate 11 will be removed. l After the crate is filled the top plate 11 is placed in position and the bails tied in position by means of the cords or wires 12. After the contents of the crate have been removed the top plate 11 and bottom plate 10 are removed and the side and end strips are swung upon the pivot rods 3 to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be understood when collapsing the ends and sides it is necessary that the connecting cords or wires 12 be removed from the bails and said bails are swung beyond the ends of the crate. After the sides and ends are collapsed the bails are then swung into the position illustrated inv Fig. `5,v of the drawings whereby they will extend at an angle across the end and side strips 1 and 2. The A,cords or wires 12 may then be retied 'or connected whereby the bails will be held in such po sition as to retain the crate in its knock-V down position. -It will be vunderstood that the bottom plate l0l and Vtop plate 11 may be connected to the sidesof-'the cratein .any desired manner.

Fromthe above description-it willbe seen that'I have-provided 'a crate which can be held in raised position whereby fruit or vegetables Y of various characters may be shipped. After the crate is emptied, it may be knocked down, thereby requiring. "less space for reshi-ppingor returning to the original sender. By such-constructionl and arrangement of parts, my crate may 'be-used a number of times, thereby saving a considerable expense. y Y

If small-articles are tobe shipped such as small berries, a lining of pasteboard orother suitable vmaterial `maybe inserted between the sides and ends, and 'across the top'and bottom. By this arrangement, the berries will be prevented from falling betweenthe strips l and 2. '.It will be further noted that by khaving the bai-l members of greater width thanV the' crate itself, the bails may be folded intothe position illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Having 4'fully described my invention Copies of -thiszptent'maybe.obtainedlfor '.vescents each, :by-addressing'the Commissioner ofjlatents,

ends'pivotally 'connected to the sides, a top, a bottom, bails secured to the lower edge of the side members for slida-ble and longitudinal Vpivotal movement said bails Vbeing of greater wldth and height so asto extend 'beyond .andloosely .envelop the sides and top of the crate, whereby said bails fold with the crate without being I.detached therefrom, and means for connectingl and ldrawing the bails intoclamping engagement withV the top of the'crate. Y

2. A Vcollapsible crate comprising sides, ends pivotally connected to 'the sides, atop, a bottom, bails secured to the Ylower edge of the side members for slidableand longitudinalpivo-tal movement, said bails having an offset portion between the securing means for engaging the bottom` `and vbeing of greater'width and heightV so as to .extend beyond and loosely envelop the sides and top of the crate, and means'for connecting and drawing the bails into clamping engagement with the top and bottom.

In' testimonyrwhereof I .affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses. i

LUCIAN L.l Elev.

rWitnesses: Yl

THEODOREGANTEN, Jr., p W. SETH.DANmLsl Washington, D C.

and desire to'secure by 

